Together
by eorocks
Summary: This story takes place after Olivia comes back from Oregon. Elliot is divorced. Elliot and Olivia are finally starting to get things back to the way they used to be...and more! I don't own these characters. They belong to Dick Wolf. But I wish I did because it's E/O all the way! Please read and review. More to come...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Elliott looked across his desk at his partner seated opposite him. She was absorbed in some paperwork, leaning on her elbow and tapping a pen on her lips. When Olivia was absorbed in whatever she was doing, she really let her guard down, dropping the tough exterior. Often, a smile would play across her lips, which he found so damn endearing. She was a beautiful woman, but when she smiled…he lived for that smile. And that's why he found himself staring at her.

It was late Friday afternoon, and they were both trying to get their DD5's completed so they could get out of the office at a reasonable time and start their weekend. It had been a while since they had a weekend off, and they both needed the break. Elliott was picking up the kids tomorrow to spend two days with them and he was looking forward to that. He hadn't spent any time with them in almost a month, and missed them a lot. But he didn't have any plans for tonight.

At that moment, Olivia looked up at him, and caught him staring at her. She smiled and said "What?"

Elliott was busted. He wasn't embarrassed at being caught any more, as she often caught him staring at her. He couldn't help it. He would look over at her sitting there, and his mind would start to wander.

"I was just thinking about tonight. Do you have any plans? Going out on a date?" Elliott asked. He was REALLY hoping that she would NOT have a date.

"No. No plans. We have been working so much lately, I just need a quiet night. I think I am going to go home, take a hot shower, and cozy up with a glass of wine and a movie".

"What would you think of doing that with me? I would even throw in dinner." Elliott proposed.

"Stabler, are you telling me that if I shower with you that you will buy me dinner?" Olivia smiled devilishly and gave him a sultry look.

A slight blush colored Elliott's cheeks. "No! That's not what I meant!" Elliott insisted.

"What? You wouldn't want to take a shower with me? Now I am offended." Olivia put on her best pouty face.

Fin and Munch were sitting one aisle over and were listening to the banter back and forth. They laughed at Elliott's discomfort.

"Smooth Stabler." said Fin. He loved to give Elliott crap when it came to Olivia.

"El, I am just messing with you. I know what you meant. Sounds like fun, depending on the movie." said Olivia, laughing lightly. "Do you think we can find something we can agree on?"

Elliott knew what that meant. It meant he would be watching some kind of romantic comedy. But he didn't care. As long as he could spend time with Olivia, he didn't care what they watched.

He had been thinking about their relationship a lot lately. Olivia was his partner and his best friend, but he couldn't deny there was always an undercurrent of sexual attraction between them. They had an amazing chemistry, which is what made them such great partners and friends for the past eight years. Twenty years of marriage and 4 children had kept him from ever acting on it; as well as the fear of ruining their partnership. But now he was divorced; had been divorced for months. And he had been thinking about his relationship with Olivia more and more. Their relationship had had its' ups and downs over the past year, as he struggled with his marriage, and they both struggled with how much they cared for each other. At times, it impacted their job, and SVU had considered splitting them up. But ultimately the suits had decided against it, as they were still one of the best teams in the NYPD.

Olivia had gone undercover for a couple of months and it had nearly killed Elliott. It was his job to protect her, and he had no idea where she was or if she was safe. And it was then that he decided he couldn't live without her. That he loved her. And he swore if he ever got another chance, he would tell her. But since she had been back, it had been awkward and they had to figure out a new relationship with each other. She was more cautious of being open with him, and when she found out he was divorced, she had acted strangely. He had hoped that she would see this as the opportunity for them to voice their feelings, but instead, she seemed to maintain a distance from him. It was almost as if she was afraid to get too close again. They were finally just getting back to where they had left off. The easiness between them had started to return. Even the joking that was going back and forth today was evidence of that.

"El!" Olivia said in a loud voice. "Are you paying attention to anything I just said?"

Elliot startled and looked back at her. "What? No, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something. I didn't hear you. What did you say?"

"I said that I was going to take off and that I would be over about 7. Did you want me to pick up something on the way, or are we just going to order in?" Olivia stood, grabbing her jacket.

"Um, I haven't really thought about it. Let's just order in. Is that OK?" Elliott asked.

"Story of my life" said Olivia with a smile. She grabbed her bag off her desk. "Have a good weekend John, Fin. I hope I don't hear from you ALL weekend!" she said with a smile.

Elliott watched as she walked out of the squad room.

"Stabler" said Fin. "Quit looking at her ass."

**Chapter 2**

Elliott left the squad room a little after Olivia and headed for his car. He had decided that he would make a home cooked meal for her instead of just ordering in. Every time he was at her apartment, she never had any food. So he knew she ordered in all the time, or picked something up on her way home. A hot, home-made meal would be a nice surprise.

When Elliott arrived home, he jumped in the shower. He put on some clean jeans and t-shirt and then started prepping dinner. He was just going to make some pasta; nothing fancy. He opened up a bottle of red wine and poured himself a glass.

A little before 7, there was a knock at the door.

"Come on in. The door is open" Elliott yelled from the kitchen.

Olivia walked in the apartment and Elliot came out of the small kitchen to greet her as she came through the door. She was carrying a bottle of wine and had a sweatshirt thrown over her arm. She was wearing faded jeans, and a short sleeve t-shirt, both fitting her curves perfectly. Elliott thought she looked amazing; but then she always did. He felt a small flip-flop in his stomach, and tried not to stare. She had gained a little weight when she was in Oregon, and had filled out a little in the breasts and hips, but it only made her sexier.

"What are you staring at Stabler?" Olivia asked. She looked down at what she was wearing. "Was I supposed to dress up? Is this too casual for movie night?" she smiled.

"No. I just…I mean… you look fine. You look great." Elliott stumbled over his words. What WAS his problem? He felt like he was in high school. "I was just wondering." He said, trying to recover and redirect the conversation. "Is that my NYPD sweatshirt? I was wondering what happened to it."

"I'm busted." said Olivia with a smile. "I borrowed it a while back and now it's one of my favorite sweatshirts. I guess I kind of forgot it even belonged to you!" She lied. She knew it was Elliott's and she treasured it. Every time she wore it, she thought of him.

"Here, I brought some wine" she said, taking her turn to change the subject. She handed the bottle over to him. "Something smells wonderful. Are you cooking!?"

Elliott grabbed the bottle of wine from her hand and walked back into the kitchen.

"Yes, I decided that you probably hadn't had a good meal in months, so I thought I would cook. I don't want you to get too skinny." said Elliott.

Olivia laughed. "I'm not worried about getting too skinny! I didn't have the chance to work out much in Oregon, and have been having trouble getting back in the habit since I have been back. I can't imagine EVER being skinny. I have plenty of curves, if you haven't noticed."

"Oh, I noticed." said Elliott with a little bit too much emphasis, and then he felt stupid for saying it. He kept his back to her but there was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Then he said "Hey, can you set the table?" He turned and nodded towards some plates and silverware piled on the counter.

Olivia smiled a little and grabbed the dishes. Why was Elliott so nervous tonight? Something was definitely up with him. She wanted to ask, but didn't want to put him on the spot. She assumed it would come out when he was ready.

She set the table and grabbed the wineglasses and the bottle of wine, and everything was all set when dinner was ready. They sat down to eat, and Elliott said grace. As they dug in, they talked about the kids and what they were up to, and he talked about his plans with them for the weekend.

"I am picking up the kids tomorrow and we're going to go pick up some pumpkins and go out for lunch. Then we'll head back here to carve them and hang out. I guess I just have Dick and Liz because Maureen and Kathleen already have some plans. So it's going to be a little quiet. I guess I have to get used to that as the kids get older."

Olivia could tell he was not happy with this new reality. Elliott was really close to his kids, and when he didn't get to see them, it was hard for him.

"Elliott. I know it's hard, but you know, even if you and Kathy were still together, you wouldn't see them either! Teenagers are never home. I know I was NEVER home. Once I turned 14, I was gone all the time". Olivia tried to put him at ease.

"It doesn't mean I don't miss them" said Elliott stubbornly.

"I know. I am not saying that. Just enjoy the time you have with Dick and Liz. It's nice to have some more personal time with them, and then maybe you can meet up with Kathleen and Maureen one on one. It's nice for the kids to have some one on one time with you too. It's more personal." encouraged Olivia. She didn't want him to stew about this all night.

"You're right." said Elliott. "Now let's talk about something else. What movie are you going to make me watch tonight?"

Olivia laughed. "I didn't bring a movie along so we're at the mercy of whatever's on TV. Hopefully we can find something."

They had finished eating, so they cleaned up the dishes, put them in the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen. They had already worked through one bottle of wine, so Olivia opened up the bottle she had brought along and carried it into the living room.

They plopped down on the couch, sitting on opposite ends. Olivia curled her legs up underneath her, sitting kind of sideways, partially facing Elliott. Elliott grabbed the remote control and started channel surfing.

**Chapter 3**

Elliott and Olivia had finally agreed on a movie, and settled in. They finished off the bottle of wine, and didn't talk much during the movie. At one point, Olivia stretched out on the couch, putting her feet in Elliott's lap. Elliott raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't say anything. He started rubbing her feet.

"I will give you an hour to stop that." Olivia groaned. "That feels wonderful".

The combination of wine and the foot massage was making Olivia sleepy. She slowly started to nod off. Elliott grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch and covered her up with it. She snuggled in with the blanket and closed her eyes. In 5 minutes, she was sound asleep.

Elliott watched her sleep. Now, he could stare openly at her without fear of getting caught. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever met, on the outside and the inside. Sometimes he couldn't believe she hadn't found someone to be with, but he also knew that many times, she simply didn't let people in. Olivia had a lot of baggage from her past, and it took a lot to get to know the real Olivia Benson. Sometimes he wondered how much was his fault. He was hard on anyone she dated; letting her know his displeasure with every guy that came around. He didn't say it out loud, at least not directly, but she knew. And it fact, sometimes it made him physically ill to think of her with another man. He knew it wasn't fair, but he couldn't help himself. But at the root of it all, he thought maybe the reason she didn't commit to anyone else was that she felt the same way about him as he felt about her. Maybe she sabotaged her own chances; running away before things could get too serious.

And now he was a free man. He had been for months. But he couldn't decide what to do. There was a lot at stake; mostly their jobs. Kathy had accused him numerous times over their marriage of cheating on her with Olivia and he had been adamant that he hadn't. He told Kathy that they were only partners and friends. But hadn't he cheated? Even though it was never physical, wasn't he emotionally involved with Olivia all these years? And hadn't he wanted her physically? Had that kept her from a serious relationship with any other man? He knew that only his sense of family and God had kept him from crossing that line. And he would never want Olivia to be 'the other woman'. She deserved more than that.

But now he was free. Free to act out on his desires. So what was he afraid of?

He was afraid that Kathy and the kids would not believe he had always been faithful. But more than that, he was afraid of messing up what he had with Olivia. What if he couldn't be the man she needed? What if he couldn't love her how she deserved to be loved? What would it mean for their jobs? He couldn't imagine not working in SVU, and he knew it would kill Olivia to leave. Could they stay in SVU and just switch partners? Would he trust anyone else to watch her back? It was all these thoughts that swirled around in his mind and made it impossible to decide what to do. But in his heart, he knew what he wanted. And what he wanted was Olivia Benson.

**Chapter 4**

Elliott looked down at her sleeping peacefully on the couch and let out a heavy sigh. He knew the first move would have to be his; that she would never be the one to cross the line after all the barriers they had carefully constructed. He lifted her feet gently off his lap and stood up, laying her feet back on the couch. He knelt down next to her and gently reached over and moved a stray chunk of hair off her forehead. She stirred slightly at his touch, and smiled in her sleep. He took his left hand and gently stroked her left cheek until she stirred. She opened her eyes slowly, as if from a dream.

"El" she said softly. Almost as if she expected to see him there, leaning over her.

"Liv" Elliott continued to stroke her cheek. Then he leaned over and kissed her very gently on the lips. Just a light kiss, and then he pulled back and looked into her eyes. He saw surprise there, but not alarm. He started to lean in again for another kiss, and watched her eyes to see if he could see any sign that she wanted him to stop. She didn't say anything. She didn't move. She was holding her breath. Elliott leaned in for another kiss, kissing her with more urgency than the first kiss. And then she was kissing him back. She put her arms up around his neck and pulled him closer. He teased her lips with his tongue until she granted him access. The kisses were deep, urgent and filled with longing. Olivia moaned low in her throat and her whole body was trembling slightly. He hadn't expected this kind of intense reaction; he had only hoped for a kiss. A start of something with a promise of more. But feeling her tremble and hearing her moan fueled his passion and suddenly, he couldn't get close enough to her.

He climbed next to her on the couch, and then rolled on his back and pulled her on top of him. He tangled one hand in her hair as he kissed her deeply. His other hand ran down her back and grabbed her ass and pulled her tightly against him. She could feel how hard he was and she repositioned herself so that his length was lined up with her core and she pushed down with her hips. Elliott broke the kiss and groaned loudly. He ran both hands up her back, under her t-shirt and splayed his hands against the smooth skin of her lower back. She was grinding her hips into him, and kissing him along his neck and then she was pulling up his t-shirt and kissing him on the chest and working her way down to his abdomen and he thought he was going to die from desire. He looked down and couldn't believe this was Olivia; that she was kissing him and had her hands all over his body. She started to work her way back up and looked up at him with a sultry expression. Elliott felt himself get even harder, if that was even possible. Damn, she was so fucking sexy. He had never seen this side of her but the thought that ran through is mind as she looked up at him with a seductive smile was that this side of Olivia Benson was pure sin.

As Olivia eased her way back up his body, Elliott grabbed her arms. "Stop."

Olivia stopped. Elliott started to sit up, pulling her up with him.

Olivia had a confused look on her face, but she didn't say anything.

"Liv" Elliott started. "I want nothing more than to pick you up, and take you into my bedroom and make mad, passionate love to you. I have thought about this so many times. But I have been waiting for this for a long time and I don't want to rush it. I want to enjoy every single second. And I don't want to push you into something you're not ready for. I just wanted to kiss you…and I didn't invite you over expecting anything. I want you to understand that."

"El, do you know how many times I have thought about making love to you? Dreamed about this? Too many to count. But it was always so complicated and I was never going to be the one to cross the line. But if you're in, I'm in. You're not rushing me into anything. I am a grown woman, and I know exactly what I'm doing. And baby, we are NOT going to rush…I am going to make you feel soooo good."

Elliott groaned out loud. Olivia stood up and grabbed Elliott's hand. She led him into the bedroom and made him sit on the edge of the bed. Then she backed up a few feet and slowly started to lift up the edge of her t-shirt. She teased him by slowly lifting it up over her stomach, swaying her hips slightly back and forth. Elliott reached over and put a hand on her stomach and she slapped it away. "No touching" she said playfully. "At least not yet".

She pulled the t-shirt up and over her head and dropped it to the floor. She was wearing a lacy black bra that accentuated her cleavage. Elliott groaned as she ran her hands back and forth over her hips and her stomach, and then moved them up to cup her breasts. Then she reached down and slowly started to unbutton her jeans. She slowly undid the zipper and pulled the jeans back, revealing more skin and the very top of some black lace panties. She turned around and very slowly started to ease her jeans down, revealing the top of a black lace thong. She worked her jeans all the way down, revealing her toned and tan ass, and dropped her jeans to the ground. Elliott thought he might actually cum right then and there. She was such a tease. She kicked her jeans away and slowly turned around. She took her hands and ran them up her sides, massaging her hips, stomach and breasts along the way, and then up through her hair.

"Olivia, you look amazing. You are absolutely beautiful." Elliott stared at her, appraising her from head to toe, taking her all in. Her skin was dark and smooth, and she had a sultry look on her face that made him weak in the knees. He had looked at her every day for the past 8 years, and he knew she was beautiful. He had allowed his imagination to wander sinfully, wondering what she might look like naked. But his imagination paled in comparison to the beautiful woman standing in front of him.

Olivia watched Elliot looking at her, his eyes roving over her body. She laughed, walked over to him and pushed him down on his back. She climbed on top of him, straddling his hips. She gently rocked from side to side, rubbing against him and driving him crazy. She pinned his arms down and leaned over and gave him a long, luxurious kiss.

She pushed his t-shirt up and ran her hands up and down his chest. Elliot had an amazing body and she knew he worked out a lot. And it showed. And now she was touching him, running her hands over what had always been forbidden before. She almost wanted to pinch herself to make sure this was real.

Elliott put his hands around her waist and swung her over onto the bed, so she was on her back.

"You always have to be in charge." said Elliott. "But not this time."

He straddled her and slowly started kissing her, letting the kisses get deeper and deeper. His lips left hers and he started kissing her on her neck. He found a particular spot behind her ear that seemed to set her off, because she let out a loud, deep moan. He kept kissing and sucking her on that spot until her hips started bucking upwards and he knew she was coming undone. He started moving lower with his mouth, kissing and sucking and teasing until he got to her breasts. He lifted her up gently, reaching back to release the clasp on her bra. He let out a groan when he saw her beautiful breasts. He had imagined this so many times, but reality was so much better.

"God Liv. You really are fucking gorgeous." He said. He pulled her bra off and threw it to the floor. He started massaging her left breast with his hand. Olivia moaned again in that deep, dusky tone of hers and it drove him mad. He put his mouth on her right breast and sucked and teased her as she was writhing beneath him.

"Elliott. You're driving me crazy". She moaned. She was running her hands up his back and tried to pull his shirt up. He pulled the shirt up and over his head, and then went back to sucking and fondling her breasts. She pushed her hips up into his and reached down to stroke him through his pants. He pushed her hand away, not sure if he could hold himself back if she touched him

"I can't stand this anymore. I want you inside me" she said, with a pleading tone in her voice.

"Be patient Detective." Elliott said playfully. He un-straddled her and moved to the side, taking in the full length of her with his eyes. He couldn't believe he was lying here, looking at Olivia in his bed. "You are so fucking beautiful." He ran his hand down her flat stomach and caught his thumb on the edge of her black, lace panties. Her breath caught in her throat. He ran his thumb back and forth under the edge of her underwear. "Breathe Olivia." said Elliott. He stopped what he was doing, and stood up next to the bed. He quickly pulled off his jeans and his boxers.

Olivia raised herself up on her elbows to watch his as he undressed. She eyed him, raised an eyebrow and smiled wickedly. "Impressive. But I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less." She said, eyeing his large erection. "Now that's what I need Stabler. Get over here." Olivia held out her hand, pulling him back onto the bed.

"Didn't I tell you that you aren't in charge?" Elliott said playfully. He leaned in and kissed her, while he slowly ran his hand down over her panties and down to her core. He slid his finger under the lace. She was so wet and he smiled knowing he had made her that way. He slid his fingers up and found her clit, and when he stroked his fingers over it, her entire body jolted and she let out a loud moan. Leaving his thumb rubbing her clit gently, he slid one finger into her. Olivia lifted her hips up into his hand. He slid a second finger in. She was so tight. Olivia raked her fingers up and down his back and growled at him. He moved his fingers slowly in and out, her hips thrusting up to meet him.

"El. Please. I can't…please. I need you inside me." She reached down, pushed his hand out and away from her. She reached down and put her hand around him, stroking gently. It was almost more than he could bear. He pushed her hand away and hooked his fingers inside her panties and pulled them off. Then he climbed over her, spreading her legs with his knees.

He looked up at Olivia's face. She had her head back with eyes closed and she was panting lightly.

"Olivia. Look at me." Elliott said, reaching down and touching her cheek.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. In her eyes, he saw so much. Desire, longing, trust, love.

"Liv. Are you sure about this? There's no going back." Elliott said.

"We're already past the point of no return."

"No, we're not. We can stop. If you're not sure…" Elliott said.

"El, you're killing me. Does it seem like I'm not sure? Do I have to sign something? Please…I can't stand it any longer. I want you."

Elliott leaned down and kissed her, and slowly entered her. She gasped and he stopped, looking at her.

"It's OK. Just go slowly." She said, running her hands over his ass. He gave her time to adjust and then pushed in a little deeper. He stopped again. He didn't want to hurt her, and so he kept kissing and massaging and going deeper and deeper until he heard a loud groan escape her lips.

"Oh God, Elliott. Oh my God." She started moving slowly underneath him, and he took that as his sign to go ahead. He thrust slowly at first, and then started gaining momentum. She was so tight; he wasn't going to last very long. But from the way she was moaning and panting, he didn't think she was going to last much longer either.

"Come on baby. Cum with me." Elliott said. He reached down and rubbed her clit. After a few seconds he had driven her over the edge and she screamed his name, grabbing his back and her entire body spasmed. He let himself go and came with her, spilling himself inside of her. "Oh Liv." He moaned. He kept moving his body with hers until he was spent, and he collapsed over her, barely able to keep himself from crushing her. He slid out from between her legs and rolled over on his side. He threw one arm over his head.

"Holy Shit!" Elliott said as they both lay panting next to each other. "Holy shit."

Olivia was quiet and Elliott rolled over on his side, facing her. She had her eyes closed and was breathing deeply.

"You ok?" Elliott asked. He reached up and caressed her cheek with his hand.

Olivia opened her eyes and looked at him. "I think OK is an understatement." She smiled and lifted her head up and kissed him.

"I just wanted to make sure that I didn't hurt you. You were so…" he hesitated. Even after what had just happened, it still felt very strange to talk this openly and intimately with Olivia. Sex and deep personal stuff had always been off-limits.

"So what?" she asked. She could tell he was uncomfortable, which is why she wanted to push it. "So what, El?" she said with a sweet smile.

He looked at her and knew she wasn't going to let him off the hook.

"So tight." He said, almost in a whisper.

She laughed. "Well, I haven't pushed any kids out and…it's been a while since I had sex." she admitted.

"Good." Elliott said.

She gave him a puzzled look. "What?"

Elliott smiled. "It's good that you haven't had sex in a while. Then I don't fail by comparison. Plus…it drives me crazy to think about you having sex with other men. It always has." Elliott confessed.

"El. You don't have to worry about comparisons…eight years of pent-up frustration made for some pretty amazing sex." Olivia smiled and reached up and touched Elliott's cheek.

"Really? I felt like I was in high school. I didn't last very long". Elliott said.

"Neither of us did. Eight years…that's a long time to wait for each other."

"Yes…too long" said Elliott, placing his hand on her stomach and massaging the soft skin there. "But hopefully I'll get another shot."

"Maybe." Olivia said with a smile. She started to sit up and Elliott moved his hand to her shoulder.

"Where are you going? " he asked. "I don't think I'm done with you yet."

"To the bathroom. And don't get too bossy Stabler. I said MAYBE." she said with a big smile on her face. She climbed off the bed, and swayed her hips seductively as she walked into the bathroom.

Elliott fell back on the bed and groaned. This sexy side of Olivia was new to him, but he could see how much trouble he was in. He wanted to make love to her over and over again. He had always been addicted to her but now he was really hooked. He could now see the playful side of Olivia; and saw that she could be a temptress, with that body and those throaty moans and that seductive look. Pure sin.

**Chapter 5**

Elliott kept looking at the bathroom door, but Olivia didn't come out. She had been in there for about ten minutes and he wondered what she was doing in there. Was she hiding form him; kicking herself for sleeping with him? Pretty soon he heard the toilet flush and then he heard the shower.

Unbidden images flooded into his mind. He pictured her naked in the shower. He saw water running over that amazing body. He thought about soaping her body; about pushing her up against the tiles and …

He got up off the bed and started walking towards the bathroom. He stopped midway. Did she want him to come into the bathroom? She hadn't invited him to follow her. He didn't know what to do. He had his relationship carefully worked out with Olivia for 8 years, but this was new territory. He didn't want to assume anything.

He veered off to the closet and grabbed some clean towels. He went back to the bathroom door and knocked. "Liv. I have some clean towels here. Can I come in?"

"Yes. It's your bathroom." Olivia yelled out from the shower.

Elliott opened the door and peeked in. That wasn't necessarily an invitation, so he wasn't certain what to do. He could see her outline through the marbled glass door of the shower.

He walked into the bathroom and set the towels on the counter. "OK. I just put them on the counter. Do you need anything else?"

Olivia opened the shower door a crack. "I could use someone to wash my back." She smiled seductively. "Do you know anyone that may be interested?"

Elliott felt himself harden.

Olivia looked him up and down. "I see someone is interested". Elliott walked over to the shower and stepped in. She was definitely going to be the death of him.

When he stepped in the shower, she handed him the body wash. She turned her back to him. He started kissing her shoulders. He lifted her hair from the nape of her neck and started kissing her neck. Olivia braced herself against the tiles with her arms and arched her back. Elliott ran his hands down her sides and over her hips. He slowly turned her around so she was facing him and kissed her.

She kissed him back passionately and ran her hands over his back and down his ass. She pulled his body closer. He reached around and moved one arm around the back of her thighs. He lifted her up and pushed her against the shower wall. She wrapped her long legs around his waist as he thrust himself into her. Olivia let out a yelp and he realized he thrust in too quickly. He stopped moving and looked up at her. She nodded and said "I'm OK". He moved more slowly then; Olivia running her hands over Elliott's body, kissing him passionately. He adjusted himself slightly, and hit a sweet spot, eliciting a moan from Olivia. He pushed in a little deeper, increasing his speed while she moaned in his ear. His arms were beginning to shake from holding them in this position, but he couldn't stop now.

"Oh El. So close. Don't stop." Olivia groaned. Then she started to tremble and he knew she was close. He lifted up and thrust harder, pushing her and him over the edge. Olivia reached out, bracing her hands backwards against the shower wall. She threw her head back, panting hard as they kept moving in time with each other.

Finally spent, Elliott pulled out of her and Olivia lowered her legs so she was once again standing on the shower floor. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She laid her head on his shoulder, feeling so warm and protected in his embrace.

"Olivia Benson, what did I do to deserve you? I love you so much." Elliott whispered into her ear.

Olivia lifted her head from his shoulder. She looked up at him, her beautiful brown eyes searching his. She bit her bottom lip. "I love you Elliott. I always have".

**Chapter 6**

They stepped out of the shower, and Olivia wrapped herself in a towel. She wrapped another towel around her hair and walked back into the bedroom. Elliott was close behind her, with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Olivia sat on the edge of the bed. "Stabler, you wore me out. I am exhausted. I need to get home and get some sleep." She looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was 1AM. She couldn't believe it. She would have thought it was 5AM, with all that had happened since she got here.

Elliott walked over to his dresser and pulled out some sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"I was kind of hoping you would stay here. With me." Elliott said as he handed them to her.

Olivia wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Most of the time, she preferred that the guys she slept with went home. She was independent, and wanted to just be able to have her space and her routine. But this was different. For one, she was at Elliott's, so she would have to be the one to leave. And secondly, she wasn't sure she wanted to leave. But she didn't really know how he was really feeling. Did he really want her to stay? Or did he feel obligated to ask her?

Elliott noticed her hesitation. "If you don't want to, that's fine." He didn't want to push her.

"Do you really want me to stay?" she looked up at him.

"Yes. I really want you to stay. Really. Please don't run out on me Liv." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

He turned around, grabbed another pair of sweats and a t-shirt, went into the bathroom and closed the door. He was hoping she didn't leave, but he didn't want to push her more than he already had. Her natural tendency was to run if things got too intense. And you couldn't get more intense then the past few hours.

Elliott got dressed, brushed his teeth and splashed cold water on his face. He leaned on the counter and looked in the mirror. He took a deep breath and exhaled. He was in deep now. There was no going back, and he wasn't sure where the future would lead. But for tonight, he was just going to be happy. They could worry about tomorrow…tomorrow.

He opened up the bathroom door, and was pleased to see that she had put on his sweats and t-shirt, and was lying on the bed. She was on her side, facing him. She had her head propped up on her hand and her other arm was resting on her side. She was drowning in his sweatpants and t-shirt, but she still looked beautiful.

"You decided to stay" Elliott said with a smile. Inside, his heart soared. He walked over to the bed.

"Maybe I was just too tired to go home." Olivia teased.

"I really don't care what the reason is, I am just happy that you stayed." He pulled back the covers, pulling them out from under Olivia too. He crawled into bed, and pulled the covers over the two of them. He lay down and pulled Olivia close. Her body fit perfectly in the crook of his arm. She laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He reached out and turned off the light.

He closed his eyes and relished the fact that he was holding Olivia in his arms. If there was a heaven, it must be something like this. He caressed her back with his hand, and she ran her hand up and down his arm. Her hand stopped, and her breathing had slowed, but he couldn't tell if she was asleep or not.

"Liv." He whispered.

"Hmm." She mumbled.

"I could stay like this forever." But she didn't respond. She was already asleep.

**Chapter 7**

Sunlight streamed through the curtains over the bedroom window when Elliott woke up. Olivia was lying on her side, facing him. She had the blankets pulled up to her chin and was still sleeping soundly. She looked so peaceful. The sunlight played with the highlights in her hair and he couldn't stop staring at her. He felt overwhelmed by his emotions. Everything they had been through together over the past eight years came rushing back. He suddenly wanted to make up for any pain and sadness he had caused; he wanted her to be happy. To feel the love she had been waiting for, and that she deserved. He would make up for all of the heartache she had endured.

Her eyes fluttered open.

"Morning" Elliott said, reaching over to stroke her cheek.

"Elliott, how come every time I look at you, you're staring at me?" Olivia teased him.

"Because you're so damn beautiful" Elliott said forcefully. His answer surprised her and she smiled. She had expected a smartass comment back. But things had shifted in their relationship now. They were treading on new ground.

"OK." She said simply, accepting his answer.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Elliott.

"Like a baby. I was exhausted. Someone wore me out." Olivia put her hand over Elliott's, which was still caressing her cheek. "I am really glad I stayed."

"Me too."

Olivia rolled over on her back and stretched. She slowly sat up in bed. Elliott put his hand on her lower back, slowly moving his hand under the t-shirt and rubbing her lower back. His sweatpants were too big on her and they had slipped down on her hips. He slipped his hand a little lower, down to the swell of her hips.

Olivia looked over at him and smiled. "Not so fast Stabler. I need coffee."

"What? I wasn't doing anything." He said innocently.

"Yeah, right." She reached behind her and grabbed his hand, flinging it back over towards him. "Coffee."

She got out of bed and started for the bathroom, moving slowly and stretching as she walked.

"Are you OK? Is something wrong?" said Elliott with a concerned look on his face.

"I'm just a little sore. I'm fine. And I'm not kidding about the coffee" she said as she shut the bathroom door.

Elliott smiled and rolled out of bed and made his way into the kitchen. He knew Olivia wasn't a morning person and wasn't kidding about needing coffee. He scooped grounds into the coffeemaker, poured water in the machine and hit the start button. Soon, the aroma of coffee permeated the apartment.

Olivia came out of the bedroom, hitching up the oversized sweatpants. "That smells amazing. You know, I rarely got coffee when I was in Oregon and it's one of the things I missed the most. I am NEVER giving up coffee."

She walked into the kitchen and lifted herself up onto the counter, her feet dangling down.

Elliott got a couple of mugs down from the cupboard and set them by the coffeemaker.

"I don't want to get between you and your coffee." joked Elliott. "I'm making it as fast as I can."

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. It was almost as if they didn't know what to say to each other. They knew they had to talk about what had happened, about the change in their relationship, but neither knew how to start. Their carefully constructed world had crumbled and they were on uneven footing.

The coffeemaker beeped and Elliott filled one of the mugs. He walked over to where Olivia was sitting on the counter and handed it to her.

"Your coffee Madam."

Olivia took a sip while Elliott went back over to the coffeemaker and poured himself a cup. He turned around and leaned back against the counter where he was standing, looking over at Olivia.

"So." he said.

"So." said Olivia, looking at him, and then looking back down at her cup.

"El." started Olivia. With that one word, Elliott's heart started to ache, as he was certain she was going to say that this was all a mistake and that it shouldn't have happened and couldn't happen again.

"I am not very good at this." she continued, but then she paused. She had all of these things she wanted to say, but wasn't sure how to say them. She looked up at him. He was staring at her intently, hanging on every word. And she realized then that he was just as scared as she was. And that gave her the conviction to move ahead.

"I'm scared." she said. Elliott started to interrupt but she waved him off. "Please, just let me finish or I won't be able to get this out."

"Elliott, I have been falling in love with you a little more every day for the past 8 years. And despite how much I have tried to talk myself out of it, have tried to find someone else to fall in love with, I haven't been able to. The heart wants what the heart wants. I dreamed about this, but I never expected this to actually happen. And now that it has, I am scared to death. Scared that I can't be the woman you want me to be or that I am not the woman you think I am. Scared that I can't actually commit to anything despite how much I want it, and that I will hurt you. Scared about our career, our friends, your family. It's a long list. But when I woke up this morning, and saw you looking at me, it just felt right.

So I don't know what's going to happen, and just for a little while, I don't want to think about it. I just want to be happy with what is. Can we just be happy for a little while, before we let all the rest of the world in?" tears had gathered, threatening to spill out over her lashes.

Elliott walked over to her and put his body between her legs. He looked up at her, and gently brushed the gathering tears from her eyes.

"Olivia, you just said all of the things that have been swirling through my mind all morning. I don't want to analyze this to death. Even though I know there are lots of things to think about. I just want to relish what we have right now, and the rest will work itself out."

He let out a big sigh. "I was so worried that you were going to tell me that this was a mistake; that you changed your mind about us."

Olivia put her arms over Elliott's shoulders and her legs around his waist, pulling him close.

"Elliott. I finally got you right where I want you. And I am NEVER going to give you back!" she leaned in for a kiss and Elliott was more than happy to oblige.

**Chapter 8**

As their kisses deepened, they heard the ring of a cell phone from the living room.

Olivia pulled back. "Is that yours or mine?"

Elliott disentangled himself from her embrace and walked into the living room. He picked up the offending cell phone from the coffee table.

"It's yours. It's Alex." Elliott said, reading the caller ID. He walked back into the kitchen and handed her the phone.

Olivia answered it quickly. "Hi Alex." Alex asked what she was doing and Olivia said "not much." She smiled over at Elliott. Elliott couldn't hear any more of the conversation from Alex's end, but it sounded like Alex was giving Olivia hell for not answering or texting her back. Olivia ended the call after a couple of minutes and said "What time is it anyway?"

Elliott looked at the clock on the coffeemaker. "It's a little after 10. Shit, I have to pick the kids up in less than an hour." He looked at her and sighed. "This isn't how I expected this morning to go. I wanted to talk a little more."

"It's OK Elliott. I have to go too. I am meeting Alex for lunch and then we're going to do some shopping."

"Do you maybe want to come over and have dinner with the kids and me later on?" Elliott asked.

"You know, I think it's better if you just spend the day with your kids Elliott. If last night hadn't happened, would you be inviting me over?" Olivia asked. "If we're going to keep this between us for a while, then we need to act as if nothing has changed around everyone else."

"Does that mean you're not going to tell Alex? You two share everything, I swear." Elliott said, shaking his head.

Olivia hopped down from the counter and walked over to Elliott. She took his face in her hands and said "Elliott. This is between you and me, and until we see where this goes, it stays between us. OK?"

"OK". Elliott leaned in and kissed her. Then Olivia pulled away.

"I have to get going. I am going put my jeans back on, but OK if I borrow this t-shirt?" Olivia started walking back towards the bedroom to gather her things.

"Sure. If you want, I can drop you off at your apartment on my way to pick up the kids." Elliott said as he followed her into the bedroom. "I am just going to jump in the shower."

"Too bad we don't have time or I would join you" Olivia said he a deep, throaty voice, giving him that sexy look she had.

"Olivia Benson. You are going to be the death of me. And I love it." said Elliott, sighing and going into the bathroom, alone.

Elliott dropped Olivia at her apartment, kissing her goodbye as she got ready to get out of the car.

"Have fun with Alex." he said.

"Have fun with the kids. Tell them I say hi." said Olivia, shutting the car door.

Elliott opened his door and jumped out of the car. "Liv." He said, looking over the top of the car.

She stopped and looked back at him, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

Elliott didn't know what he was going to say. He just didn't want their time together to end. He felt like he needed to say something, to make sure she didn't rethink what had happened and didn't change her mind.

He obviously hesitated longer than he thought because she turned around to face him and said "Elliott. What?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to say thanks." Elliott kicked himself. That wasn't what he wanted to say.

She made a funny face. "You're thanking me for sleeping with you?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I mean…" Elliott felt like an idiot.

"Elliott. It's OK. I know." And with that, she turned around and walked towards her apartment building. Elliott watched her walk in and disappear from sight. As he climbed back in the car, he smiled. She knew him. She knew there was so much he wanted to say and that he just didn't have the words. She felt the same way.


	2. Together continued

Author's note: OK. I know I messed the chapter thing up because these were my first fanfictions that I every posted. So even though this is Chapter 9; it's going to say Chapter 2. So next time I post a new story I will get it right! Sorry about that! Please R & R. I appreciate it.

**Chapter 9**

Olivia jumped in the shower and got changed. She had less than an hour to get ready and meet Alex for lunch. She quickly swiped on some mascara and dried her hair. She stood back and looked in the mirror. This was as good as it was going to get today.

She ran downstairs and walked a block over to hail a cab. No time for the subway today.

She walked into the restaurant in Soho just a little after twelve, and found Alex at a small table in the back. Alex already had a glass of wine, and had ordered a beer for Olivia.

"I am glad to see you have our priorities straight" Olivia smiled as she walked up to the table.

"Hey Liv!" said Alex. "I was just going to text you to see if you were on your way."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I am running behind today." Said Olivia.

"I was really starting to worry when you didn't return my texts last night, or this morning. Or return my call." said Alex. "Where were you? You ALWAYS answer your phone."

"I was just over at Elliot's. We ordered dinner in and we're watching a movie and I fell asleep on the couch. I must have had the ringer on low or off because I never heard it. I slept right through until Elliot woke me this morning."

Alex raised her eyebrows and l looked at Olivia. "Elliot woke you up? No wonder you such a smile on your face this morning!"

"Alex, it wasn't like that. I fell asleep on the couch and Elliot didn't wake me. He just let me sleep there." Olivia looked away and grabbed her beer and took a sip. "You know it's not like that."

Alex stared at Olivia for a few more seconds. "If you say so. I still think you are keeping something from me. The chemistry between you two is undeniable. Everyone thinks you're sleeping together and have been for some time."

Olivia looked back at Alex. "Alex! I don't believe you. If anyone really thought we were sleeping together, we wouldn't still be working together."

"Well, you know how people gossip. And you can't deny there is something there between the two of you. There always has been. And people notice."

"Elliot and I are partners and best friends. We are close because we have been working together for 8 years. We rely on each other. I trust him with my life. And you also know that Elliot was married, and that he would never do anything to jeopardize that!" said Olivia.

"Liv. Calm down. I was just giving you a hard time. Why are you getting so upset? This can't be the first time someone has said anything to you." said Alex, shaking her head. "Besides, Elliot's ISN'T married anymore." Alex said pointedly.

At that point, the waitress walked up to take their order. The both ordered and the waitress walked away.

"Can we please just change the subject?" said Olivia. "I don't want to spend my day talking about Elliot for God's sake."

They chatted about cases and people in the office and Alex latest date through lunch and then hit the shops in Soho. Olivia's phone was in her pocket and it kept buzzing with incoming text messages as they shopped. She didn't need to look to see who they were from, but she didn't dare pull out her phone and start reading them in front of Alex. Finally, her phone rang. She was tempted to ignore it, but Alex looked at her.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" asked Alex.

"Um. Yes, of course." Olivia pulled her phone out of her pocket and saw it was Elliott. She answered with her customary greeting. "Benson."

"Hey Liv. Did you get my text messages?" said Elliot.

"No, I didn't have a chance to read them. I am shopping with Alex." Olivia smiled up at Alex and mouthed "Work." Alex wandered away, looking through some racks of dresses. She was out of earshot so Olivia could talk.

"Elliot. I can't be looking at my phone every two seconds while I am with Alex. She is going to know something's up. She already accused me of sleeping with you last night and I won't even tell you what else she said. This is going to be harder than I thought because I swear I was blushing when she said it."

Elliot chuckled on the other end. "Sorry. I just keep thinking about you and wanted to check in and see how your day was going. Besides, we call and text all the time, even before this."

"I guess. I am just a little paranoid. Aren't you with the kids anyway? You should be focused on them."

"Ha! If you spent any time with teenagers, you would know that they have their faces buried in their phones 24/7. I am just trying to keep up! Anyway, they are just getting ready because we're going to get a bite to eat. Looks like they are ready to go. Talk to you later."

"OK. 'Bye El" said Olivia and hung up the phone.

Alex wandered back over. "Anything I need to know about?"

"No. He just had a couple of things pop into his head on a case we were working last week and didn't want to forget to tell me. No big deal. Let's go." said Olivia.

Alex and Olivia finished up their shopping, and said good-bye. Alex had a date that night and wanted to get home and start getting ready. Olivia jumped into a cab and headed home, shopping bags in tow. She wasn't really looking forward to a quiet evening, and wished she would have agreed to meet up with Elliot and the kids. But she knew that wasn't the right thing to do. She sighed and put her head back on the seat. She thought it would be easy to keep outward appearances; to act as if things were the same to everyone around them. But she should have known better. This was the reason that they had carefully erected all of the barriers between them; why they had been careful with each other and their feelings. But now that the line had been crossed, this was all going to move very fast.

Images of Elliot popped into her head, and then she remembered the text messages he had sent. She pulled out her phone and opened up the text messages.

She scrolled down to the first message.

"_Hey beautiful_" said the first message. Olivia smiled. She could get used to that.

"_I can't stop thinking about you_" said the second message.

"_And about last night_" said the third message.

"_I wish you were here. Right now. I want to see your smile and kiss you. And … _" said the fourth and final message.

Olivia smiled. Despite all of the voices screaming in her head that this was not going to end well, she couldn't stop herself. She had wanted this for so long. They just HAD to figure out how to make it work.


	3. Together-Cont (Chapter 10)

**Chapter 10**

Olivia walked into her apartment and dropped her bags, her purse and her phone on the couch. She looked at her watch. It was only 4:30, but she was tired out and needed a nap. Thanks to a certain 'someone', she hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before. She would hang up all of her newfound treasures later on.

She pulled off her jeans and sweater and crawled into bed in her tank top and underwear. She laid there for awhile, thinking about her conversation with Alex. She wondered if everyone really did think they were already sleeping together, and started to think about what would happen if anyone found out about their relationship. She didn't want a new partner; she didn't want to leave SVU. What the hell were they thinking? But it felt so right to be with Elliot. She smiled when she thought about the night before…it had been so amazing. And she could have that all the time. Damn! It was so confusing. She rolled over and tried to put it out of her mind. She would think about it later. In a few minutes, she was sound asleep.

Elliott had picked up the kids from the house, and Kathy hadn't been there. Dick said she had gone out with some girlfriends, and frankly, he was glad he didn't have to see her. Even though they had mutually agreed to the divorce, she still made it seem like it was his fault. On top of that, the kids were complaining about leaving home and going into the city. There was some big party with their friends they were missing. They went back to his apartment, and he made them some lunch. They had flatly refused to go out to pick out pumpkins, letting Elliot know that they were not 'children' any longer. They promptly turned on the TV, and picked up their phones, texting their friends and who knows what else. There was a lot of heavy sighs from both kids, especially as the afternoon wore on.

"Hey. Let's not just sit around this apartment all afternoon" Elliot said as late afternoon set in. "Let's go out and do something. What do you guys want to do?"

"No offense Dad." said Dick. "But there's nothing really to do here in the city…especially with our Dad hanging around."

It bothered Elliot that the kids didn't really want to be there with him. He already missed them a lot since he didn't get to see them every day. But if he was being honest with himself, he really hadn't seen them much when he still lived with them. He guessed he could understand that they didn't want to be ripped out of the home and away from their friends at their age.

"Can I talk to you two a minute?" said Elliot, sitting down in a chair next to them in the living room.

"Sure." They both put their phones down.

"I get it. I understand that you want to be with your friends. I just miss you guys, and want to be able to spend time with you." Said Elliot. "But I can be flexible, and if we can work it out with your mom, it doesn't have to be an all weekend thing all the time. We can work out different days and different schedules. How does that sound?"

They both looked at him, and he could tell they felt bad about not wanting to be there.

"Guys. Really. I get it. How about I take you to your friend's party, and then pick you up later? You can still crash here and we will spend some time together tomorrow, but tonight, you can hang with your friends."

Liz jumped up and wrapped her arms around Elliot. "Thanks Dad!" Elliot smiled. He really meant what he said, but there was also a part of him that knew that if he had some free time this evening, he could spend it with Olivia.

Both kids jumped back on their phones and ran to their rooms to get cleaned up for the party.

As soon as they were out of the room, Elliot picked up his phone and texted Olivia. "It appears I may have a few free hours tonight…OK if I come over for awhile?"

The kids were ready to go, so they all jumped in the car and Elliot drove them back over to Queens. As soon as he dropped them off, he checked his phone. There was no message from Olivia, so he texted her again. He was wondering if she had gone out. She hadn't said anything about it, but he hadn't really asked. He looked at the time. It was 6:30PM, so if he drove back into Manhattan, it would take about a half hour. He had to be back to pick up the kids by midnight, so he had plenty of time. He decided he was going to surprise her and headed back to Manhattan.

When he reached Olivia's apartment, he knocked lightly on the door. When she didn't answer, he knocked a little louder.

Inside, the knock startled Olivia from her sleep. She rolled over and looked at the clock. It was after 7! She couldn't believe she had slept that long. She sat up slowly, as the knocking on the door became a little louder. She swung her legs out of bed and went to the door.

"Who's there?' she asked.

"Liv-it's Elliot. Let me in."

Olivia looked down at what she was wearing. "Just a second." She knew Elliot had seen her naked, but somehow she just wasn't ready to answer the door half dressed. She went back in her room and threw on her jeans and sweater and headed back for the door.

"What took so long?" said Elliot as she opened the door and he made his way in. "And why aren't you answering my texts?" He leaned over and kissed her.

"Wow! Demanding. I was sleeping." Said Olivia, moving into the kitchen. "Didn't know I had to be at your beck and call every second of the day."

Elliot smiled. He knew how cranky she was when she first woke up in the morning. He guessed naps were no different.

"LIv. I didn't mean it that way. I just meant that I was texting you to see if it was OK if I stopped by. But I decided you didn't have a choice because I couldn't wait to see you." Elliot explained what had happened with Liz and Dick as he followed her into the kitchen.

Olivia had reached into the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water. "You want anything?"

"Yes" said Elliot with a smile. He walked over to her and backed her up so her back was against the counter. "You." He leaned in for a kiss, but Olivia pushed him away.

"Geez El. So you think you're just going to come over here for some kind of booty call when you have a few free hours? How lucky for me."

Elliot had a confused look on his face. What the hell had happened since this morning? "What are you talking about Liv? Where the hell is this coming from?"

Olivia walked into the living room and sat down hard on the couch. She looked up at Elliot, and he saw tears brimming on her lower lashes. He heart started to thump in his chest.

"What are we doing El?" she said.

With those four words, Elliot felt his world crashing down around him. She was going to run, and he didn't think he could take it.


	4. Together-Cont (Chapter 11)

**Chapter 11**

Elliot tried to remain calm, but his heart was thumping wildly in his chest. He didn't know what the hell was going on, but he knew he had to fix this.

"Liv. I don't understand. Everything was fine when we left this morning, and when we talked this afternoon. What's changed?" Elliot moved over and sat down next to her on the couch. She leaned away from him, scooting farther back to one end of the couch, and looked away and out the window. Elliot kept talking, in a calm, soothing tone, but inside he was going crazy.

"Liv. Look at me." Elliot reached out and gently grasped her chin, gently moving her face to look at him. He saw that a couple of tears had slid down her cheeks. "Tell me what's wrong. What's changed?"

Olivia took a deep breath. "El. I…" she hesitated and looked down at her hands clasped together in her lap. "I.."

"What? Just tell me what's wrong." Elliot pleaded. He moved a hand on top of her hands, but she pushed his hand off.

"I think last night was a mistake." Olivia never looked up and kept staring at her hands in her lap. "I've been thinking about it today. When I was with Alex today, and she started talking about you... About us… And I realized that we are never going to be able to keep this between us. Not for any length of time at least. And this impacts so many people. Maybe the reason we never crossed the line before was because there were so many good reasons not to." She dared to look up at Elliot at that point, and saw the look of hurt on his face.

"Liv. I can't believe you're saying that." He rubbed his hands over his face. "I LOVE you. I want to be with you. I don't think I could have been more clear last night. And I thought we were on the same page. What happened to 'I want you El', 'we have already passed the point of no return' and everything else we said last night. You had obviously thought about us before… you knew what you were doing."

Olivia sighed. "I'm not saying I didn't want to…I'm just saying that maybe there were good reasons it didn't happen before.

"No! They were fucked up reasons this didn't happen before. Why should we throw away happiness when we know this is what we BOTH want? WHY?" Elliot was practically yelling. "Why are you so set on sabotaging this relationship before it's even started?"

Olivia shrank back a little on the couch. She wasn't physically afraid of Elliot, but she was startled at this outburst.

"WHY?" Elliot said again. He stood up and paced a few feet away from the couch. He turned around and said more quietly. "Why?"

Olivia looked up at him, seeing that he had calmed down a little. "Elliot. What if this doesn't work out? I lose you as a partner because of our relationship, and then I lose my best friend. I couldn't bear it." Olivia said in barely a whisper.

Elliot took a deep breath. "Remember all the things we talked about last night? And this morning? I am as scared as you are, but I am willing to fight for what I want. And Olivia, what I want is YOU. I am not going to leave you…ever. I am not saying it will be easy all the time, but I am tired of looking across the desk at you, wanting…and wishing. Those days are over. And I felt it last night. You want the same thing. So I don't know why you had this horrible case of cold feet tonight, but I am BEGGING you, please don't shut me out. Let yourself be happy. Let us be happy. For once in your life, stop thinking, and start feeling." He walked over and knelt down in front of Olivia. He took her hands in his. "Olivia Benson. I love you with all my heart. You are my soulmate. We are meant to be together. I knew it so long ago, and was too much of a coward to do anything about it. I hurt you over those years, and I wasn't happy either. Now we have a chance at the real thing." He lifted her hands to his mouth, and gently kissed them. He laid her hands gently in her lap, and reached a hand up to caress her cheek.

Olivia hadn't said a word. She just looked into Elliot's eyes as he poured his heart out to her.

"Liv, will you fight for us?" Elliot whispered, continuing to caress her cheek with his thumb. He looked into her eyes, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

Olivia slowly parted her lips, as if to say something. But she stopped. She put her hand on top of Elliot's.

"Do you understand Elliot, that I have no one in this world? You are everything to me. I know everything I said last night, and everything we talked about this morning. But then you showed up here and I just realized…shit. This is REAL. Our relationship is changed forever. Mmaybe it would be easier to pretend that last night didn't happen. To return everything back to the way it was. I can handle the way it was because I know you're not going anywhere. I know how to handle that relationship. I don't have to worry about any repercussions if we keep things they way they were."

Elliot's hand dropped down from Olivia's cheek. He pulled himself up and sat down on the coffee table, still sitting across from Olivia.

"Liv. We can't go back to the way it was before. We both knew that last night; that everything was going to change. I don't WANT to go back to the way it was before." Elliot said, shaking his head. "I want more. And I know you do too."

He leaned over, grasping her hands in his again. "I know I can be a real asshole sometimes Liv. But I am here. I am putting it all on the line here. I love you. And I dare you to tell me that you don't love me."

Olivia startled. She looked down at her hands. What the hell was her problem? Elliot was here, telling her he loved her; that he wanted more. She had wanted Elliot for as long as she could remember. But she was so used to being on her own; on not needing anyone. And this scared the hell out of her. All the years she yearned and couldn't have him; she had tucked away her heart. And in a moment of weakness last night, she had let the shutters open and let some light in. But in usual Olivia Benson fashion, she had slammed that door shut again, when the feelings got too intense.

Elliot could see Olivia struggling with her thoughts. Damn her. She needed to stop over-thinking everything and just let herself be happy. Let them be happy.

"Damn it Liv. Stop it. Stop telling yourself all the reasons we shouldn't do this. Be selfish and let yourself give in. Let me love you." Elliot stood up, grabbed Olivia's hands, and pulled her up from the couch. He cupped her face in his hands, and pulled her towards him, crashing his lips down on hers. She braced her hands on his chest, but didn't push him away. He dropped his lips down on her neck, kissing his way down to her collarbone and working back up again. When his lips landed on hers again, she started kissing him back. The kisses grew more passionate, and soon their tongues were tangling with each other frantically, as if fighting over dominance.

_I would really appreciate some reviews to let me know if this is going in the right direction!_


	5. Together-Cont (Chapter 12)

Chapter 12

Olivia pulled away from Elliot, panting to get a breath. Elliot took the opportunity to drop down, kissing her neck, finding the spot that made Olivia moan.

Suddenly he stopped and pulled back. Olivia opened her eyes to look at him.

"Liv. You didn't answer my question." He stared into her eyes. "Tell me that you love me, and that we're done with the bullshit. Done with the conversations about this being a mistake. Because I am a minute away from picking you up and carrying you into the bedroom, but I can't keep playing this game. This is real. And I need to hear you say it. I need you to mean it."

Olivia looked up and took Elliot's face in her hands. "I was so happy this morning. I don't know why I freaked out like that. I am sorry. I want to be with you more than anything. I promise you-I won't put you through that again." She gave him a wide grin. "Let me make it up to you."

Olivia started to walk backwards towards the bedroom, pulling her sweater slowly up and over her head. She reached behind her, unclasping her bra, and let it drop to the ground. Elliot stayed glued in place, never taking his eyes off her. Olivia continued to walk slowly backwards towards the bedroom, unbuttoning her jeans and peeling them back, then pushing them down over her hips. As they puddle around her ankles, she kicked them off towards Elliot. She stopped, standing in only her underwear. She reached her arm out towards Elliot, who was still standing in the living room, and crooked her finger at him, beckoning him towards her. Elliot started to move towards her, and as he did, Olivia hooked her fingers into the waistband of her panties, and whipped them down. As soon as Elliot reached her, she took a step back, and continued to retreat at Elliot stalked her into the bedroom. Elliot caught up with her as the back of her legs hit the bed, and he wrapped her up in his arms. He buried his face into her neck, taking in her scent and running his hands down her back and down her ass. Then he reached down, and scooped her up, and tossed her gently onto the bed.

Olivia let out a small yell, surprised by his actions. She propped herself up on her elbows, and gave him a seductive grin. "Stabler. You have way too many clothes on. Take them off. Now." she ordered.

Elliot gave her a grin, and wiggled his eyebrows at her. "You are so damn bossy." He said. "And so impatient. Didn't I tell you last night that you can't be in charge all the time?"

Just to piss her off, he climbed on top of her, fully clothed. He leaned down and kissed her, while she started to run her hands down his back. She pulled his t-shirt up and started to run her hands up his bare back, but he pulled her hands away. "Nope."

Olivia let out a sigh of frustration and Elliot smiled. "How come I am completely naked and you have all your clothes on? That's not fair." pouted Olivia.

"Hey, I am not the one that took of all of your clothes. But I do appreciate it. Now, less talking and more kissing." Elliot smiled as he leaned in, kissing her neck again, eliciting a moan from Olivia. He kept kissing his way down, across her collarbone and down to the rise of her breasts. He ran his left hand up her outer thigh, and up her body to her left breast, taking it in his hand and massaging it. He put his mouth on her right breast, teasing and licking, while he teased her hardened nipple on her left breast with his hand. Olivia was moaning and started to push her hips up into him, but she was limited in her movements with him straddling her. She was getting frustrated as she couldn't move, and Elliot wouldn't let her touch him. Every time Olivia reached up, Elliot gently pushed her arms back down. Elliot continued to move down, kissing her stomach, and trailing down, moving his body down between her legs. Elliot put his hands on her inner thighs, and gently pushed her legs wider apart. Olivia held her breath in anticipation.

Elliot kissed the insides of her thighs with whisper light kisses, and she could feel his hot breath on her core. She could feel the moisture that had gathered there. God, the things this man did to her; her body reacted like it had to no other man. Olivia threw her head back, dying from the frustration as Elliot continued kissing her inner thighs, getting closer and closer to her core.

"God El. You're driving me crazy" she managed to whisper. "Just…"

Elliot smiled against her thigh "Just what Liv?" he said innocently. Before she could respond, he ran his tongue between her folds and Olivia moaned loudly and grabbed the headboard and arching her back.

"Jesus.." was all she could manage to say.

Elliot kept licking, finding her clit and running over it with his tongue. Olivia was moaning and her body was trembling. Elliot took his fingers and found her opening, plunging one finger in, quickly followed by a second. Olivia bucked her hips up off the bed, letting out a yell. Elliot took his other hand and pushed her hips back down on the bed. He continued to pump his fingers in and out, and rubbed his thumb on her clit.

Olivia's head was thrashing back and forth, her arms grasping the headboard and she was fighting the hand that was keeping her pushed down on the bed. Her entire body was trembling and she felt like her body was on fire.

"Come on baby. Let go." Said Elliot. And with a few more swipes with his thumb, Olivia let out a yell and went over the edge, clutching at Elliot's hand to stop before she blacked out.

Elliot leaned back, kissing her inner thighs, and back up her stomach and breasts, leaving a trail of wet kisses. He found her lips and kissed her gently, watching her as she came down from her high. She finally opened her eyes and looked at him hovering over her.

She reached up with her arms and pulled him down on top of her. "God El. The things you do to my body. But I thought I was supposed to be the one making it up to you." She reached her hand down, feeling his hardness through his jeans. Elliot moaned as she rubbed her hand up and down his length.

"OK, now you can make it up to me." he said, and flipper over on his back, taking Olivia with him.


	6. Together-Cont (Chapter 13)

Olivia leaned over Elliot, her hair fanning her face and tickling Elliot's face as she leaned down and kissed him deeply. Elliot reached up to wrap his arms around her, pulling her chest to his. Olivia broke the kiss, and started kissing and sucking on Elliot's neck.

"Liv" Elliot grabbed her by the waist. "If you leave a mark, I am going to kill you." He tried to roll them over again, but Olivia wasn't having it. She dropped her full weight down on Elliot, pulling his hands from her waist and pinning them down with her own.

Elliot knew he was stronger and could break her hold, but he was having fun watching Olivia taking control. Suddenly, he pulled back and raised a hand.

"Liv. Stop a minute."

Olivia pulled back with a smirk. "What, you don't like me holding you down?" Then Olivia heard it. Someone's cell phone was ringing in the other room.

"It's not Cragen's ring" said Olivia. "Let it go to voicemail." And she leaned back down towards Elliot.

"No. But it's Kathy's". Elliot said. In one move, he flipped Olivia off him, and jumped out of bed, running into the next room.

"Jeez El. She can't leave a message?" Olivia yelled after him as he ran out, a little upset that he had pushed her off so quickly to get the phone. "I thought she was your EX-wife."

Olivia debated following him into the next room, but frankly, she didn't want to hear the conversation. She could hear Elliot's voice get louder, and could sense they were arguing about something. Elliot was still talking as he walked back into the bedroom.

"Fine. I get it. But seriously, we have to figure out a better way to keep this shit straight." Elliot said. There was a pause while obviously, Kathy was saying something in reply. "No. I said it's FINE." Elliot said, his voice getting louder. "I am not doing anything. I will go pick them up."

Olivia raised her eyebrows and looked at him as he said that. That really pissed her off. He wasn't doing anything? What the hell?

Elliot hung up the phone and sat down on the bed next to her. "What the hell was that?" asked Olivia.

"Kathy is all pissed off because she had told the kids very specifically that they couldn't go that party. So they played me…and now she is yelling because it was my day with them, and why did I let them go when they were supposed to be with me and what the hell was I doing-was I trying to get rid of them, and on and on. I told her she should have told me they couldn't go and she said it shouldn't have mattered because they were supposed to be with me and…you get the gist. So I have to go pick them up from the party now." Elliot scrubbed his hands up and down his face.

Olivia pulled the sheet up to cover herself. "Whatever Elliot."

"Liv. Are you mad at me? Don't be mad." He leaned down to give her a kiss. "Do you honestly think I WANT to leave?"

Olivia dodged the kiss, rolling over on her side away from Elliot.

"C'mon. I'M the one that's missing out. It was YOUR turn to make it up to ME. But this is about my kids…and you know I have to make them my first priority." He crawled on the bed, and started kissing the back of her neck. He trailed down to her shoulder, and then slowly peeled the sheet down, placing kisses on her shoulder blades and down her side.

"You can't stay mad at me…you know you love me. And you know I will make this up to you."

He pulled Olivia over gently, so she was on her back. He looked down into her eyes. "Tell me you love me." He teased.

Olivia looked up at him and then gave a shrug of her shoulders. "I guess you're all right." She said, not able to keep a straight face.

"You're going to pay for that Detective." Elliot leaned over her, tickling her gently on her sides. Olivia started giggling, and pushing Elliot's hands away. "Tell me that you love me." Elliot said, continuing to tickle her.

"STOP! STOP!" said Olivia, gasping for breath. "I LOVE YOU!"

Elliot stopped tickling her. He leaned in to nuzzle her neck, placing gentle kisses there. He found the spot below her neck that set her off, and Olivia let out a low moan. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling his mouth back to hers, kissing him deeply. Elliot took her arms from around his neck and planted them on either side of her head on the bed. He pulled back and looked at Olivia, lust in his eyes.

"Damnit. I have to go. I REALLY don't want to leave you." He said has he pulled back and got off the bed. "I have to get going. I should have left tem minutes ago." He grabbed his boxers, and walked into the bathroom.

Olivia rolled over on her side, facing the bathroom. When Elliot came out of the bathroom, he saw Olivia, lying there, her head propped up on one bent arm, and one leg bent at the knee. She had a seductive smile on her face.

"Jeez Liv. Are you trying to kill me here?" Elliot groaned.

"I just want to remind you what you're missing out on, and make sure you come back to finish what you started." Olivia said sweetly.

Elliot groaned, pulling his t-shirt over his head and grabbing his jeans. He leaned over and gave Olivia a kiss. "I know I can't come back tonight, but I will text you or call you and let you know what's going on."

He pulled back, taking one last look at the beauty stretched out on the bed. As he walked out of the room, he looked back over his shoulder, shaking his head. This was killing him. And the thought popped into his head one more time…pure sin.

Olivia heard the door shut and silence settled in. Olivia pulled the sheets up over herself. She was thinking back over the evening…about all of the things Elliot had said. And then about the things that Elliot had done to her body…and she couldn't help smiling. God that man made her weak in the knees; he could make her wet with just a kiss. She wanted to make love with him over and over again. She didn't have any power to deny him anything anymore. She thought back to her little freak out session earlier in the evening. Why the hell had she done that? She was complicit in what had happened last night; she hadn't stopped him. She had wanted him just as much as he wanted her. She smiled to herself again. She was done with that. Everything Elliot said was true. She loved him and he loved her. They had waited so long and they deserved to be happy. She swore to herself that she wasn't going to get in the way of this relationship ever again-never put him through an episode like that again. Even though make-up sex was a wonderful thing. But really, who was she kidding? Sex with Elliot was always going to be fantastic.


	7. Together-Cont (Chapter 14)

_**Sorry that it's been awhile since I updated. I have been working on my other story "Waiting for You." If you haven't read it yet, give it a try. Hope you enjoy this next chapter. Read and review please.**_

_**EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO**_

Olivia slept soundly, exhausted from the last two nights of extracurricular activities. When she woke, the sun was streaming through the window as she slowly opened her eyes. She was so happy that it was Sunday and she didn't have to go into the office. She laid in bed, thinking about how her life had changed over the past two days. How many movie nights had she and Elliot had…why had he chosen this one to make a move? She sighed. It didn't really matter. She was just happy that he had. She never would have been the one to make the first move and would have kept going forward with their relationship as it was.

She grabbed her phone off the nightstand, and looked at the time. It was only 9AM. It seemed later. She had a text message, and opened it up. It was from Elliot and was time stamped at 1:09AM.

"Lying here thinking about you. Wishing you were here with me. Love you."

Olivia smiled. She could get used to this. She stretched and rolled over, thinking about all of the things she should do today. She could feel the ache between her legs. Her sexual liaisons had been few and far between lately, and now she had sex two nights in a row. She shouldn't have been surprised by the size of Elliot; it matched his ego. No wonder he had such a cocky attitude! Just thinking about the last two nights made her smile. Olivia spent most of her time in conservative cop mode, dealing with sex crimes all day long. But the truth was that Olivia like sex…a lot. She was a pretty passionate person, and wasn't shy in the bedroom or with her body. Especially when she was with someone like Elliot, who she trusted completely. She thought that maybe Elliot had been a little surprised these past two nights. And she was going to keep on surprising him.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot woke up when he heard his phone ringing. He grabbed his phone, assuming it was Olivia calling.

"Hey sexy." He said, answering the phone after the first ring. "Miss me already?"

"What?" he heard Kathy ask on the other end, causing him to sit up quickly in bed.

"Huh?" asked Elliot, pretending to be confused.

"Elliot?" asked Kathy. Now she sounded confused. "Who the hell did you think was calling you?" There was a tinge of anger in her voice. She was still upset about the situation with the kids the previous night.

"No one. I was sleeping Kath." said Elliot. "What's up?" He hoped Kathy would drop it, and just think he had been dreaming.

"I was just wondering when you're bringing Dick and Liz home today."

"I don't know. I just woke up and they're still sleeping." Elliot lay back down. He looked at the clock and saw it was 9AM already. He couldn't believe he had slept that late.

"Well, my sister is coming over with the kids, so I was wondering if there was any way you could bring them back before 4. I don't want to cut your day short, but.." Kathy said.

"No, that's fine." said Elliot. "I get it." He was hoping to get back in her good graces after the debacle last night.

"Thanks Elliot. I really do appreciate it. See you this afternoon." Kathy hung up.

Elliot sighed. He hated having to deal with all of this back and forth but it was the only way to see the kids. And he hated giving up part of his day with them. He knew they would sleep until noon and they would have to leave by 3 to get to Queens by 4. Maybe they could go out for a big lunch/brunch. Maybe he could get Olivia to go along with them. He knew the kids would love to see her, but he didn't want to raise suspicion. But he really wanted to see her. He looked at the time again, and wondered if she was awake. He flipped open his phone, and drafted a text message.

"Hey beautiful. Are you awake yet?" he looked at the message, and felt a little awkward about it. The idea that he could talk to Olivia like that, pepper her with compliments and intimate thoughts, was still so new. But he hit SEND.

He got an answer back almost immediately. She must have been awake.

"Who is this?" the text message said. Elliot shook his head. She was having some fun at his expense. He wanted to say something smart back to her but he really had no comeback. It was too early in the morning for this and he hadn't had any coffee yet. He opened up the phone and hit #1 on speed dial, deciding he would just call her instead. She answered on the 2nd ring.

"Benson."

"Really? That's how you answer the phone when you know it's me?" asked Elliot. He knew she always answered the phone that way when she was working, but this was personal.

"How do I know this isn't business?' she asked. Elliot couldn't see her face, but she had a big smile on her face. She was having fun teasing him.

"Well, Detective…" he started. "I thought maybe with all that has happened in the past two days, I had earned a personal greeting. But obviously not. What do I have to do to your body to earn that?" Elliot laughed.

Olivia laughed. "I guess I hadn't thought of it like that." She said. "The past few days were OK…but continuous improvement…you know…we should always strive for that." She teased Elliot.

Elliot loved the challenge in her voice. "If I was there right now…"

Olivia laughed. "I'm just giving you a hard time Elliot. There is absolutely _nothing_ wrong with the past two days. In fact, just lying here thinking about it is making me wish you were here. I might have to do something about it…" she trailed off.

Elliot groaned. "Liv. Stop talking like that. I would give anything to be there, but I can't leave right now." Visions of Olivia, naked beneath him, popped into his head and he couldn't shake the images. Now that he had seen her gorgeous body naked, and had felt and touched every inch of her body, he was addicted. He groaned again.

Olivia laughed. "Settle down. I was just joking. I'm not doing anything except lying here in bed."

"Still. Anyway. I called you because I have to take Liz and Dick back home by 3. So I was going to take them out for lunch or brunch today, and I would love it if you would come with us." He knew she would say "no", so he pre-empted her. "The kids would love to see you. They never get to see you anymore." He knew Olivia had a soft spot for his kids.

Olivia considered his offer. She had really wanted to keep things as normal as possible, but she didn't have anything else going on today, and she really wanted to see Elliot.

"OK, on one condition. After you drop the kids off, you come back here for dinner and we will work on our continuous improvement plan." she said the last part in a low, husky voice.

"Liv. You're making me crazy right now. But that's a deal I can agree to." He said. "I will call you when the kids get up, but plan on going around 1."

"Sounds good El. See you then." Olivia said.

"Liv." Said Elliot, stopping her before she could hang up the phone. "I love you."

"Bye El." Said Olivia.


End file.
